Tiger’s Nest Monastery, Bhutan
Taktsang Lhakhang is the world’s most mysterious temple and ancient landmark. The meaning of the name Taktsang is “The Tiger’s Nest.” This temple clings impossibly to a sheer cliff face 900 meters above the Paro Valley and is one of the holiest sites in the kingdom. A cave where Guru Rimpoche used to meditate in the 7th century A.D. was first built in 1692. It is believed that Guru Rimpoche flew to the site atop the back of a tigress and meditated in the cave for 3 years, 3 months, 3 days, and 3 hours to subdue evil demons residing within it. Many famous saints have traveled to meditate in it, and the cave has been considered a sacred site. At an altitude of 3.120 m, Taktsang Lhakhang is located approximately 10 km north of Paro town. Visitors must trek for around 2-3 hours through beautiful, shady pine forests to arrive at the temple. A visit to this remarkable heritage site no trip to Bhutan would be complete without it.
Address: Taktsang trail BT, Taktsang trail, Bhutan
Jetavanaramaya, Sri Lanka
At a distance of 1.5 km from Maha Bodhi Temple and 2 km from Anuradhapura Railway Station, Jetavanaramaya is an ancient Buddhist stupa situated in the sacred city of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It is one of the oldest stupas in Anuradhapura, located in the Mahamewna Parkland among the sacred places to visit in Anuradhapura while holidaying in Sri Lanka. At 400 feet, Jetavanaramaya is the third tallest ancient structure globally and was the tallest stupa in Sri Lanka built by King Mahasena of Anuradhapura (273-301). He initiated the stupa's construction following the destruction of the Mahavihara and was completed by his son Maghavanna I. It is believed that a part of a sash or belt tied by the Buddha is preserved here. Today, this famous mysterious temple around the world is no longer the tallest but is one of the largest in the world, with an area of over 5 hectares and housing over 10,000 monks.
Within the complex, a museum known as the Jetavana Museum houses various artifacts from the 2nd century BC to the last quarter of the 3rd century. Most of these objects were recovered during the excavation, such as carvings of Buddha statues, guard stones, jewelry, ear ornaments, ivory carvings, bangles, pottery, three-tiered urinal pot, precious stones, over 300,000 beads of various materials, Hindu and Buddhist ritual objects, Roman and Indian coins, a painted slab of stones and imported and local ceramics. Behind the museum is the beautiful Buddhist railing, a rectangular structure with four entrances in four cardinal directions. The entry fee is 25 USD for Foreigners & 12 USD for SAARC Nationals (Including entry to all the historical sites except Maha Bodhi & Isurumuniya).Address: Jetavanaramaya, Watawandana Rd, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
Prambanan, Indonesia
Located near Bokoharjo, on the island of Java in Indonesia, Prambanan is a Hindu temple complex dating from the 9th century CE. Prambanan is one of the largest Hindu temples in Southeast Asia and the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia. This popular mysterious temple is dedicated to the Trimurti of Hinduism; Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Based on the Vastu Shastra, Prambanan’s architecture conforms to Hindu architectural traditions, and the temple thus reflects the Hindu conceptions of the cosmos in its design and layout. Despite its grandeur and rich exterior ornamentation, the Javanese abandoned Prambanan within 100 years of its completion around c. 950 CE. Although the ravages of time and natural disasters took their toll on Prambanan, the Javanese never forgot the ruins, and Prambanan continued to play a part in Javanese folklore. Restoration and research of Prambanan began in earnest in the early 20th century, and in 1991 the temple complex was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is today one of the most visited mysterious temples in the world. Prambanan is located some 17 km (11 miles) northeast of the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta, near the border between the two provinces of Yogyakarta and Central Java, on the island of Java. The ruins themselves lie 0.5 km south of the village of Prambanan.
Address: Jl. Raya Solo – Yogyakarta No.16, Kranggan, Bokoharjo, Kec. Prambanan, Kabupaten Sleman, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta 55571, Indonesia
Temple of Heaven, China
The Temple of Heaven is a collection of religious buildings visited by the Ming and Qing dynasties emperors and today by thousands of visitors daily. The temple was open to the public in 1988. The temple complex is enormous, even bigger than the Forbidden City. The Chinese emperors were regarded as sons of heaven and thus, performed duties on behalf of the gods. It is also the reason their own house couldn’t be bigger than that of god’s. The features of this top most mysterious temple in the world are quite stunning, especially inside the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, where the emperors prayed twice every year. The Circular Mound Altar is where sacrifices were performed and are regarded as the temple’s most important part. There are other buildings of importance in the complex, such as the Heaven Worship Culture, Imperial Vault of Heaven, and the Palace of Abstinence, Divine Music Administration. The extensive parklands around the temple serve many purposes.
Address: 1 Tiantan E Rd, Dongcheng, China, 1000611.
Kailash Temple, India
Located in cave 16 of Ellora Caves in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, the Kailasa or Kailasanatha temple is the largest monolithic rock-cut structure in the world. Carved out of single basalt rock from Charanandri Hills, it is one of India's exceptional and mysterious temples owing to its mind-boggling carvings, massive size, and amazing architecture. With its intricate designs on panels, monolithic pillars, and statues of animals and deities, Kailasa Temple is an engineering marvel perfect for history and architecture lovers. Constructed in the 8th century under the direction of Krishna I, the temple is dedicated to the Hindu deity Lord Shiva. The temple stuns every visitor as only one rock has been carved immaculately using traditional methods associated with many legends. It was built in 18 years using 2,00,000 tonnes of rock and is considered similar to the Virupaksha temple of northern Karnataka.
Address: Ellora, Maharashtra, India.
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